BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – In Western New York, there are about 550,000 Catholics, but some are considering taking a pause, or taking their faith elsewhere -- at least for now.
The Diocese is in financial crisis, as it navigates bankruptcy to resolve roughly 900 sexual abuse claims.
To achieve its goal, the Diocese is selling property and merging or closing parishes and schools, among other things.
The Diocese faces other challenges: fewer priests, contributions, and parishioners.
These problems are nerve-wracking for some Catholics, who are considering switching to other denominations or pausing their participation with the Diocese, according to a pastor and some Catholics who spoke to News 4.
"I think they're leaving a church organization that maybe they're uncomfortable with the direction or the past actions," said Protestant Pastor Steve Biegner of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Eggertsville.
Biegner said about half of those in the pews come from a Catholic background. But he is seeing more people shift to Lutheran establishments in the past few years.
"They'll come and say, 'well, we're church shopping,'" said Biegner.
Case in point: Diocesan critic Tony Bonaventura.
Bonaventura said closing Our Lady of Peace on Main Street in Clarence was the last straw for him and his wife. The couple is considering a Lutheran or Methodist church for their place of worship.
"We've had friends and neighbors who have left or are considering leaving [the Diocese]," Bonaventura said. "So, yes, I don't think we're unique by any means. In that regard, it's just been sad to watch this whole thing sort of spiral down the drain."
Paddy Gorman is a parishioner at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in South Buffalo's Old First Ward, which is on the closure list.
Gorman said he has so far weathered the storm with the Diocese, but that could change if his neighborhood church is indeed shut down.
"I would probably have to step away from the church for awhile," Gorman said. "And I know that my wife would not be happy with that, but we've had this discussion. She understands how passionate I am about my church and about my family's church."
Philip Gray, a cannon lawyer and president of The St. Joseph Foundation, said he's surveyed cases of parish mergers and closings for 20 years. His findings show that between 20% to as high as 60% of the active Catholics surveyed stop attending masses.
"It's a very damaging percentage," Gray said. "And when I look at the causes, why in one case it might be only 20%, which to me is still high. And in another case, it can be 60%. It's how the people were treated."
Fr. Sean Paul Fleming, the Diocese's director of the Office of Worship, said it is accurate that Catholics are exploring other options to practice their faith. As a result, he is not surprised that Protestant organizations have seen an influx of Catholic parishioners.
He said the decline is due to the Covid-19 pandemic and parishioners grieving over the transgressions of the past that put the Diocese in bankruptcy.
Fleming said he has seen a boost in numbers since the end of the pandemic.
"When it hits home, it's a very deep wound," Fleming said. "And so it's something that takes a while for them, first of all, to come to terms with, to understand what's going on, but also to try to find healing, to try to find that sense of normalcy again."
Another critic of the Diocese, Mike Taheri, is originally Lutheran, but later converted to Catholicism. Even after converting, Taheri still supported Lutheran ministries, but said he will remain Catholic during this tumultuous time.
Taheri said people are finding more stability with other denominations.
"I have had several people say, 'You know Mike, I think it's time for us, we're going to look at Lutheran churches,'" Taheri said.
Fleming, who is jokingly referred to by the bishop as the "landlord," said both Fisher and the Diocese did a lot of ministry work, which some Catholics might not know. They both live in the Catherdral rectory, which makes Fisher the first bishop to reside there in more than a century.
He said Fisher is present in the Catholic community and described him as "a great leader." But the other challenges facing the Diocese, such as bankruptcy, are the tasks he must be involved in to "give closure and healing to those who the Church has harmed."
"I can tell you from personal experience, he's a very humble man," Fleming said about Bishop Fisher. "And, so sometimes Catholics we're very concerned about doing the right thing. We're not always good about telling people that we're doing the right thing.
Each parishioner's reasons for the exodus vary.
Taheri said priests are no longer assigned to parishes. That results in different priests handling baptisms, blessing of the sick, and marriages. The result is Catholics lose that deep connection they had with specific priests assigned to their parish.
"I think that has been heartbreaking for lifelong Catholics," Taheri said.
Others want to leave over how the Diocese handles bankruptcy and the sexual abuse scandal.
On the other hand, Pastor Biegner said some Catholics have had a hard time leaving their parishes for other denominations. He has heard that some struggle with childhood abuse from the past and the Diocese's response to the poor during a period of serious financial strains.
"There's such a thin margin for people tolerating chaos and tolerating injustice," he said. "So, people barely want to come to church anymore in this culture. Mike and I have had dozens of cups of coffee trying to figure out that problem."
Fleming said there is a bright spot. There has been a "slight bounce back" in returning Catholics after the pandemic. But the work is not over.
"The door is always open for them to come back or for new people to join us," Fleming said.
Dan Telvock is an award-winning investigative producer and reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2018. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
Luke Moretti is an award-winning investigative reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2002. See more of his work here.
